Revolving chair.



Patented Au '7, I900,

J. ELLENBECKER. REVOLVING CHAIR. .(Application flledJgn. 19I 1990,;

(H Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I,

Patented Aug. 7, I900.

' JQELLENBECKER.

REVOLVING GHAIB. (Application man. 19, 1000.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

n1: uomus PETERS co Pno'roumm wssnma'rou. o. c.

UNITED STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN ELLENBEOKER, OF PORT WASHINGTON, WISCONSIN.

REVOLVING CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letterslatent No. 655,211, dated August '7, 1900.

Application filed January 19, 1900., Serial No. 1,970. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN ELLENBECKEB, of

Port Washington, in the county of Ozaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new 5 and useful Improvement in Revolving Chairs,

of which the following isa description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

My invention has relation to improvements in chairs of the class known as revolving chairs.

One of the objects of the invention is an improved construction wherein mechanism is employed whereby the. chair may be freely revolved when desired without changing the height of the chair-seat and in connection therewith a positive and simple improved means for raising and lowering the chair-seat when desired.

With the above primary and other incidental objects in view the invention consists of the devices and parts or their equivalents, as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1' is an elevation of the invention, parts being shown in section and parts broken away. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the upper portion of the device at right angles to Fig. 1, parts being in section. Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4 40f Fig. 1 looking upwardly, one of the legs being shown as detached; and Fig. 5 is an elevation of a modified form.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 6 indicates the hub of the chair-iron, said hub having an enlarged upper end,forming a ballbearing pocket 7 for the reception of anti friction-balls 8. The hub is also provided at its upper end with an outwardly-extending flange 9.

The numerals 10 indicate the improved form 'of legsadopted by me. Each of these legs is of cast metal, and each is preferably provided with top and bottom edge flanges 11 and 12, respectively. The inner end of each leg is formed with a segment orcurved flange 12. The lowerend of each segment is widened or thickened,as indicated by the numeral 13, so as to fit snugly against the hub 6, and the upper end of each segment fits against the enlarged upper end of the hub. When all the legs are in position, with thesegments 10f the legs.

fitted to the hub, said segments form a complete cylinder around said hub. Just back ofthe segment each leg is formed with vertical and elongated concavities or half-tubular portions 14, which are in vertical alinement, but with the bulges or concavities alternating in direction. These alternating half-tubular portions therefore form a complete vertical passage for bolts 15,which bolts pass through openings in the top flange 9, thence through the openings formed by the alternating concavities, and thence through a bottom plate 16. The lower ends of the bolts are threaded to receive nuts 17 These nuts are preferably disposed between ridges 18 on the under side of the plate 16, said ridges holding the nutsagainst turning. The

upper ends of the bolts are provided with .9, and the nut 17 is turned tightly against the under side of the plate 16.

The improved form of legs having the particular construction described is capable of being cast in one casting, so that the several constituent elements thereof, as mentioned,

will be formed in one integral part with the legs when the casting is removed from the sand. In this mannerIam enabled to provide a strong and enduring metallic leg which can be manufactured at a minimum of expense.

The flange 11 at the upper edge of each leg passes between straight ridges 19 on the under side of the top flange 9, and these ridges therefore serve to assist the bolts in preventing lateral displacement of the upper ends The ridges 19 are connected by curved ridges 20, which receive back thereof the upper ends of'the segments 12, andthereby assist the bolts in preventingoutward displacement of the legs. The upperside of the plate 16 is also provided with-straight ridges 21, which receive between'the'm the flanges 12 at the under edges of the legs, andtherefore serve the same function as the ridges 19. The ridges 21 are likewise connected by curved ridges 22, which receive back of them the lower ends of the segments 12', and thereby serve the same function as the curved ridges 20.

' In order to prevent accidental twisting orturning of the lower end of the hub 6, I provide the samewith a spline or groove '23,

of the upper end of the hub, and theupper extremity of ,said sleeve is flanged, as indicated by the numeral 26. This flange confines the antifriction-balls 8 between its under side and the bottom of the ball-bearing pocket 7. The sleeve is provided with-a smooth bore, and fitting revolubly therein is.

a screw-threaded spindle 27. The spindle is provided with a vertical groove 28, which receivesa lug 29, projecting from the sleeve. By this means the sleeve and spindle are locked to revolve together. The spindle is pendent from a spider 30, which, as is usual in this class of devices, is secured to the under side of the chair-seat. The spindle is engaged by a nut31, which nut at its upper end is formed or provided with a rigid wheel 32. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, this wheel is inthe form of a toothed wheel. The lower end of the nut fits freely in the upper enlarged end of thehub above the flange 26 of the sleeve 25, and this lower end of the nut is enlarged or flanged, as indicated by the numeral 33, said enlarged or flanged end having frictional contact with the upper side of the flange 26. The frictional contact is preferably reduced to the minimum by providing the. under side of the flanged end of the nut with an annularbead 34. Some means should be provided for'preventing the nut when independently turned from working upwardly. Asa preferable means I extend the hub 6 slightly above the flange 9 of said hub and curvethis extension inwardly, as indicated by the numeral 35. In this curved extension is fitted a spring-ring36. It is obvious that when the nutis turned independently of the spindle it is impossible for said nut .to work upwardly,

owing to its contact with said spring-ring.

The toothed wheel 32 at the upper end of the nut is engaged by another toothed wheel 37, said wheel 37 being preferably in the form flanges extending over the top and bottom edges of the wheel 32 in order to keep the two wheels in proper engagement. The wheel 37 iscarried rigidly at the lower end of a spindle 38, which spindle is mounted in a bearing 39. The spindle 38 is surrounded by a tubular shaft 40, and this tubular shaft 40 is mounted at its upper end in a bearing 41.

slightly above the bearing 41 and carries rigidly a beveled gear-wheel 42, which wheel isin mesh with another beveled gear-wheel.

43,carried on a horizontal shaft 44, said shaft provided. at its outer extremity with a handwheel45 for convenience in turning the same. The tubular shaft 40 is provided with an the turning of the nut. is revolved for the purpose of freely turning The upper end of shaft 40 extends.

elongated slot 46, which receives a pin or stud 47, projecting froin'the spindle 38.

The above being a description of the different parts of my invention, its operation will now be described. When the chair-seat is turned, the spidertravels around with the chair-seat and the screw-threaded spindle 27,

the sleeve 25, and the nut 31, engaging the spindle, all rotate together. to raise or lower the chair-seat, the handwheel 45 is turned, and this turning through the meshing of the bevel-gear 43 with the bevel-gear 42' will cause the tubular shaft 40 to be rotated; and the rotation of said tubular. shaft is communicated to the spindle 38 by reason of the engagement of the pin 47 .with the elongated slot 46 of said tubular shaft 40. As the spindle 36 is thus rotated the toothed wheel 37 is necessarily rotated therewith, and byreason of the fact that said toothed wheel engages, thetoothedwheel 32 at the upper end of the nut 31 said nut is necessarily rotated. Inasmuch as thelnut cannot move vertically, its rotation will necessarily raise or lower thescrew-threaded spindle in accordance with the direction of When the chair-seat without any change in theadjustment, the

weight ofthe chair iron and seat iscarried by-the antifriction-balls, and friction. is reduced to the minimum by reason of the pro- ,vision of said antifriction-balls.

In t1g. 5 of the drawings I show a modified form of construction wherein the toothed wheel'32 and the meshing wheel 37 and its jrelated parts are dispensed with. the toothed wheel 32 I provide ahand-wheel $48,.which of course when turned by hand In lieu of will cause the raising or lowering of the screw-threaded'spindle. This modified form renders itnecessary for a person toleave the chair-seat and then stoop down in order to obtain access to the hand-wheel 48.

construction shown in Figs, 1 and 2, however,

a person can readily grasp the hand-wheel 45 and turn the same, so as to secure a vertical adjustment of the height of the chair-seat 'Without the necessity of leaving the chairseat. ofa 1antern-wheel,.with its top and bottom By arranging the antifriction-balls 8 as If it is desired In the IIO contact with another revolving part, and

hence there is no danger of the screw-threaded spindle working either upwardly or down wardly. If the sleeve 25, and its flange 28 were omitted and the antifriction balls 6 :placed between the flanged lower end of the nut and the bottom of the pocket 7, it is obvious that the friction of the nutin revolving 1aroundon theantifriction-balls might be sufficient to cause an independent rotation. of the nut, and hence an up-and-downmove- 'ment of the screw-threaded spindle at a time when it was not desired that there should be any vertical adjustment. The sleeve 25, therefore, is preferably and advisably employed in my construction. The slot 46 in the tubular shaft 40, engaged by the stud or pin 47, allows the bevel+gears to be always in mesh, no matter what may be the vertical adj ustment of the chair.

Another feature of my invention to which I would call attention is the manner in which the bearings 39 and 41 are carried. Referring to this feature, the numeral 49 indicates a yoke the side arms of which are connected by two cross-bars 50 and 51, respectively. The bearing 39 is rigid with the cross-bar 50 and the bearing 41- rigid with the cross-bar 51. The shaft 44 is journaled in the upper extremities of the side arms of the yoke 49. The spider 30 is provided with the depending arms 52 52, which are provided with eyes for the passage therethrough of the pivot-pin 53 of the spider. The side arms of the yoke 49 are adapted to fit between the side arms 52 of the spider, and said side arms of the yoke are provided with projecting lugs 54, having eyes therethrough which are in register with the eyes of the arms 52, and hence provide for the passage therethrough of the pivot-pin 53. The head of the spindle 27 is also provided with a cross-bar 55, which is adjacent to the cross-bar 50. This cross-bar 55 is provided with upwardly-extending arms 56 56, which are adjacent to the inner sides of the depending arms 52 52. These arms 56 are also provided with eyes through which the pivot-pin 53 passes. Each arm 56 is further provided with a lateral shoulder 57, (see Fig. 5,) which forms a stop against which the edge of the arm 52 contacts, and thereby limits the tilt ing of the chair in one direction. By the provision of this construction by simply removing the pivot-pin 53 the entire yoke 49 can be disconnected, and hence the screw-threaded spindle 27 readily and quickly removed from the hub.

What I claim as my invention is-- 1. The combination of a hub having anenlarged upper end forming an interior shoulder below said upper end, a loose sleeve in the hub, said sleeve having a smooth bore, and said sleeve having at its upper end a flange, said flanged upper end terminating below the upper end of the hub, antifrictionballs confined between the flange of the sleeve and the interior shoulder of the hub, ascrewthreaded spindle extending into the smooth bore of the sleeve, means for locking the sleeve and spindle together, but allowing vertical movement of the latter, a nut on the screw-threaded spindle and supported by the flange at the upper end of the sleeve, and means for holding said nut against vertical movement on the spindle.

2. The combination, of a hub, a loose sleeve in the hub and having a smooth bore, a screwthreaded spindle extending into the smooth bore of the sleeve,means for locking the sleeve and spindle together, but allowing vertical movement of the latter, a nut on the screw threaded spindle and supported by the sleeve, said nut formed or provided with a rigid toothed wheel, another toothed wheel engag ing the toothed wheel of the nut, means for rotating said other toothed wheel, and means for holding the nut against vertical movement on the spindle.

3. The combination, ofa hub, a loose sleeve in the hub and having a smooth bore, a screwthreaded spindle extending into the smooth bore of the sleeve,means for locking the sleeve and spindle together, but allowing vertical movement of the latter, a nut on the screwthreaded spindle and supported by the sleeve, said nut formed or provided with a rigid toothed wheel, shafts or spindles telescopically or slidingly fitted together so as to be extensible, but adapted to be rotated together, one of said shafts or spindles carrying a toothed wheel engaging the toothed wheel of the nut, and the other of said shafts or spindles carrying a gear-wheel, another shaft car rying a gear-wheel in mesh with the first-re ferred-to gear-wheel, means for turning said shaft, and means for holding the nut against vertical movement on the spindle.

4. The combination, of a hub, a spindle fitting therein, said spindle provided at its upper end with a cross-head having upwardlyextending arms therefrom, the said arms having eyes therethrough, a nut on the spindle, said nut provided with a toothed wheel, a spider,said spider provided with downwardlyextending arms having eyes therethrough registering with the eyes of the upwardly-extending arms, a yoke, the side arms thereof having connecting cross-bars formed with bearings, and said side arms of the yoke also provided with eyes registering with the eyes of the arms of the spider and with the eyes of the upwardly-extending arms, a pivot-pin passing through the registering eyes, shafts or spindles journaled in the respective bearings and telescopically or slidingly fitted each to the other and revolubly connected together,

a toothed wheel carried by one of said shafts IIO 

